


That Which Belongs

by zorlia



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 19:09:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21123761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zorlia/pseuds/zorlia
Summary: “So, what are you?” Pansy Parkinson squinted at Tracey with raised brows and a frown.Pansy's question was loud enough to catch the attention of the other first years and a couple of second years. They all looked to Tracey with varying degrees of interest.It was at this moment that she realized something: Tracey was the only muggleborn in Slytherin's first years.





	That Which Belongs

Tracey Davis is not a special girl. The furthest thing from it. She was a muggleborn witch, born to Heather and Thomas Davis. This was unfortunate, given her sorting. It wasn't hard to figure out the clear distaste and borderline hatred Slytherins had for muggleborns. And so, when sorted into silver and green, she was asked a question.

“So, what are you?” Pansy Parkinson squinted at Tracey with raised brows and a frown. It was if she was trying to maintain a regal look as she practically asked Tracey what her family lineage – and therefore worth in this society – was. It only made her face look comically scrunched like she bit into an extra sour lemon.

Most of the Slytherin table was minding their own business. The upper years were well into conversations about their summers and the upcoming school term. The first years were all huddled at the end of the table. The girls all grouped to sit together, the boys doing the same next to them.

Pansy's question was loud enough to catch the attention of the other first years and a couple of second years. They all looked to Tracey with varying degrees of interest. The second years were barely paying attention, more of idle eavesdropping for the local rumor mill Tracey was sure to exist in this place than anything else. The other girls were watching Tracey closely.

Daphne, with her glossy brunette hair pulled into an artistic half braid updo and amber eyes. She was a pureblood. A rich one too, given from the comments she made about her family's summer home in the Bedfordshire area. Lily Moon, a twig of a girl with golden hair braided down her shoulder. She was a half-blood, a fact she bemoaned with a grimace when revealing it.

“Mum is _such_ a nag sometimes. Doesn't like magic in the house. I don't know why my dad's still with her.” Tracey honestly couldn't tell if Lily was saying this with real feelings of hatred for her mother, or if she was just being a normal kid miffed at their parents for not letting them do something. Tracey hoped for the latter.

Millicent was the only one not fully paying attention. She was more invested in her food, popping her head up every now and then to place a comment relevant to herself. Millicent was the largest girl there, and possibly the tallest of the first years. Her hair was short and curly, puffing out at the edges of her ears like an aggressive cat.

The boys were paying attention as well. Draco, an egotistic boy who had begun the round of questioning the quality of one's blood at the table. He was on the shorter side, with shockingly pale blonde hair that was slicked back. He seemed to have a permanent smirk on his face as well, reminding Tracey of her brother's pet weasel. Draco was a pureblood, a fact known right away.

“You all know of my family of course. The Malfoy's are proud of their purity.” He had announced at the start of the pseudo interrogations. This was met with nods and smiles from his minions Greg and Vincent, with Pansy joining in. The others just looked unimpressed.

Theodore was a weedy boy with long black hair tied back with a neat bowed ribbon. It gave him a look of old nobles from Tracey's history books. He was sitting up straight, eating a bowl of soup calmly and staying silent. She did see his gray eyes cut to her in curiosity at Pansy's question. He was a pureblood as well, and his family an apparent old ally of Draco's father. This was revealed via Draco, who had announced Theodore's blood status before the other had the chance.

Blaise lazily leaned forward on his elbow, dark eyes moving from person to person as the conversation went on. He was lanky and had a subtle smile on his face. Throughout this, he had been subtly making comments to Draco that were jokes on the boy's overbearing and superficial attitude. Draco and his goons had yet to notice, and it was funny to see in action. He was a pureblood as well.

“Yes, what about you? What was your name again? Davis?” Draco frowned at Tracey with concentration. She could only guess that he was trying to see if he knew her family name from anyone his fellow pureblood family friends.

It was at this moment that she realized something: Tracey was the only muggleborn in Slytherin's first years.

She had a choice to make, and not long to make it. To lie, and do her best to blend in with the crowd and just ride out the next seven years slowly and carefully. Or tell the truth, and risk who knew what kind of troubles from her housemates. Pansy was a clear ringleader and bully, and Tracey could already see her and Daphne clashing as queen female, and Draco had been inadvertently spouting so much blood superiority that she wouldn't be surprised if he wrote to his family to complain and ask his father to expel her. (“My father is also on the school board, so I think I'll have an easy year here.” He said proudly and unnoticing the eye roll of Theodore and Daphne.)

Tracey thought of her family. Of her mum, who was the kindest woman you'd find in Berkshire. Of her father, who ran the local pub and was able to throw out men double his size with ease. Of her two older brothers, Noah and Sam. Noah who had his pet weasel and liked to play football. Sam who hung out with the 'wrong crowd' (as dubbed by mum) but would help out a stranger out of the good of his heart.

Her small and oh-so-normal family. The family that all crowded her at the Hogwarts train. Mum, who crushed her in a hug and gave a long list of Dos and Don'ts. Dad, who told her to write and if she wanted to leave, to just say the word and he'd come get her. Noah who wanted souvenirs and grand adventure tales. Sam who reminded her of when he taught her how to fight and throw a proper punch, and to kick the ass of anyone who deserved it. (This got a smack on the back of the head from Mum.)

“I'm a half-blood,” Tracey stated with a shrug. “You probably don't know my family either, we're not high on the social food chain.” Like magic in of itself, most of them lost interest in her immediately. As if being a half-blood made her boring and useless. It irked, but she had made her choice. Blaise still watched her but turned his attention back to teasing Draco after a beat.

And that was the start of her year at Hogwarts. Tracey did as planned and blended into her role as a Slytherin half-blood. She folded into Pansy's unworded demands for followers (Daphne ignored this with a cool superiority that Tracey envied) with Millicent. She studied, wrote back home (she missed her family) and played the occasional prank on a student from another house.

Tracey would garner no close friends while in Slytherin. Her half-blood status placed her in a minion role to others and therefore ranked no interest in friendship. Because she was blending in, and therefore following the example of Pansy (self-imposed co-leader of Slytherin first years with Draco) Tracey only received enemies from the other houses. _Whatever happened to never burning your bridges_? She'd think while casting Cantis on a Hufflepuff. The girl cried while she was bursting into an embarrassing love song in front of a group of boys. Pansy had complimented Tracey that night on the prank.

Tracey could only think of what her Mum would think.

Later, when they were older and certainly not wiser, Tracey would question herself. Why did she lie? Why didn't she just write home and ask to leave and never come back? Why did she let herself be Minon #1 to Pansy? Why, why, why, _why_?

She joined the quidditch team. Tracey wanted to be a chaser. She never got to do a full tryout. Marcus Flint wasn't paying attention to her speed times or goal scoring. In the end, he placed her in the reserves. She played one game in the rest of her years at Hogwarts. (they won, thank you.) Meanwhile, Draco was seeker in his second year and played in almost every game. He still lost to Potter every time. He also would still have a place in the game, despite newer and better seekers being available to play.

Tracey would date a few boys in her time. First Harper, an underclassman. The relationship didn't last long. He had dated her with only an intent to get help with his homework and to meet Daphne. Tracey jinxed his clothes to change colors like a mood ring for a whole week in response. (she was proud of that spell, having invented herself) The Weasley twins were blamed for the prank to save them all from Snape's wrath.

She dated an older boy for a brief time, but that was short-lived as well. He broke up her, with a bored shrug and “I need to focus on my future and _real_ options.” Tracey cried for exactly three days over this, before Pansy snapped at her to “Get over it, it's not like you had an actual chance.”

Then, finally, she dated Blaise Zabini. It wasn't meant to be anything serious at first. Just an occurrence of them both being bored and without plans for Hogsmeade weekend. It then went on, and eventually became a semi-serious relationship. It was possibly the one bright spot in Tracey's time at Hogwarts.

Then all hell would break loose with the Death Eaters coming back and taking over the school. More than ever Tracey fell into her role as a background character. She stayed silent, and never did anything to cause attention. Blaise and Tracey paused their relationship during this time, for the better of them both. This way they wouldn't cause too much attention from the Death Eater teachers. Because of her blood status. Tracey spent this year in total fear of being found out. She was the only muggleborn in the school, surrounded by those who have literally killed people like her just because of that.

When sent into the dungeons and later led out by Filch with the rest of the Slytherins, she and Blaise fled and escaped together. She would officially break things with him, tearfully, as that she could not imagine a way to reveal her true blood status with him. All she could imagine was nothing good, and she couldn't risk it.

Tracey retreated to her hometown, got a job in her father's pub, and lived out the rest of her life in mostly solitude and a near lack of magic.

This is the story of one Tracey Evangeline Davis. A Slytherin girl. Unnoticeable, uninteresting, and unimportant.

_This is not that story_.

* * *

“Yes, what about you? What was your name again? Davis?” Draco frowned at Tracey with concentration. She could only guess that he was trying to see if he knew her family name from anyone his fellow pureblood family friends.

It was at this moment that she realized something: Tracey Davis was the only muggleborn in Slytherin's first years.

She had a choice to make, and not long to make it. To lie, and do her best to blend in with the crowd and just ride out the next seven years slowly and carefully. Or tell the truth, and risk who knew what kind of troubles from her housemates. Pansy was a clear ringleader and bully, and Tracey could already see her and Daphne clashing as queen female, and Draco had been inadvertently spouting so much blood superiority that she wouldn't be surprised if he wrote to his family to complain and ask his father to expel her. (“My father is also on the school board, so I think I'll have an easy year here.” He said proudly and unnoticing the eye rolls of Theodore and Daphne.)

Tracey thought of her family. Of her mum, who was the kindest woman you'd find in Berkshire. Of her father, who ran the local pub and was able to throw out men double his size with ease. Of her two older brothers, Noah and Sam. Noah who had his pet weasel and liked to play football. Sam who hung out with the 'wrong crowd' (as dubbed by mum) but would help out a stranger out of the good of his heart.

Her small and oh-so-normal family. The family that all crowded her at the Hogwarts train. Mum, who crushed her in a hug and gave a long list of Dos and Don'ts. Dad, who told her to write and if she wanted to leave, to just say the word and he'd come get her. Noah who wanted souvenirs and grand adventure tales. Sam who reminded her of when he taught her how to fight and throw a proper punch, and to kick the ass of anyone who deserved it. (This got a smack on the back of the head from Mum.)

“I'm muggleborn,” Tracey stated calmly.

Tracey sat there in her small and wiry form, blonde hair nearly falling from her shoulder into her food, and watched. There was a beat of pure silence on their end of the table. It was as if time was frozen. Pansy and Draco were frozen in place, eyes wide and mouths open. Daphne and Theodore looked to her with more attention this time. Millicent looked up at the silence in confusion, having likely missed the answer. Blaise had gone from watching her to Pansy and Draco. His face had an amused smile on it at their bewildered expressions. Flanking Draco, Vincent and Greg both were blinking in quiet shock as well, looking to Draco in confusion (likely to find instructions on how to deal with a muggleborn at their table). The two upper years who had idly listened in perked, putting their full attention to this hot new gossip.

And in the center of the hubbub was Tracey. She roved her eyes over the others and decided to focus on Pansy and Draco. They were going to be the biggest pains, she could already tell from their previous interactions with the group.

“I hope that won't be a problem.” Tracey continued, reaching over to grab a pitcher of a strange orange-colored drink. Pansy visibly flinched away as Tracey's arm got near her. Tracey filled her goblet with the drink, and idly wondered what it tasted like.

“That is not a funny joke!” Pansy hissed out finally, looking around in a panic as if MI6 was around the corner and listening in. Her outburst spurred the others into action. Draco scooted in his seat to further himself. It was rather pointless, given that he was two people down and wasn't even on the same side of the table as her.

“It isn't a joke,” Tracey responded with a frown. “I've never known about magic till now. Well,” She paused and thought back at a sudden memory. “Apart from the accidental magic that Professor Flitwick mentioned. There were a few times when I was younger when strange things happened around me.” Tracey shrugged.

“What did you do?” Daphne asked curiously. “I levitated my toys to me when I was younger. My sister did the same too.” The girl turned fully in her seat to speak to Tracey. It was a little nerve-wracking. She hadn't shown much interest in speaking before then.

“There was the time I turned invisible when playing hide and seek.” That was a memorable moment in time. Noah and Sam had thought they had lost Tracey in the park.

Daphne hummed under her breath and gave Tracey a calculating glance. Across from them, Pansy scowled heavily.

“Muggleborns don't belong in Slytherin.” She announced as if giving a lecture. “Salazar Slytherin only wanted those of pureblood to be in his house.” This was said with a disdainful sniff at Tracey. “And mudbloods are anything but.” Tracey frowned at the word 'mudbloods'.

“What's a mudblood?” She questioned. Pansy rolled her eyes as if Tracey had asked the color of the sky. It was at this point Draco butted back into the conversation.

“It's what you are. A witch with dirty blood.” He looked her up and down like she was a piece of rotten food in the rubbish. Tracey bit her cheek at the look and comment. She had known this would happen. She should have lied earlier. But it was too late now.

“Well, even if I have dirty blood, the sorting hat put me here.” Tracey shrugged and tried to focus on her food again. She reached for her goblet and tried the drink. It was pumpkin flavored, strange given that it was September and nowhere close to Halloween.

“That is a good point.” They all looked over to the upper years beside them. A lanky boy with brown hair was looking at them, at Tracey, with interest.

“The hat figured that you were good enough to make it in our house. Only the best come from Slytherin.” He continued. Across from him, the other male upper-year spoke up.

“Yeah. Merlin himself was a Slytherin. I don't think I've heard of a muggleborn Slytherin. Have you Maron?” Maron shook his head. Tracey swallowed a lump in her throat at that. It was one thing to be the only muggleborn on their side of the table. It was a completely different thing to realize that she was the first muggleborn in Slytherin period.

“Well, I think there's been a mistake,” Draco said stubbornly. Pansy nodded along with the statement. “I'll speak with my father, he'll be sure to fix this.” This was said with a firm nod. Tracey frowned and willed the itching need to cry away. She refused to show weakness to them.

“You said that Merlin was a Slytherin?” Theodore asked Maron and his friend, prompting a new conversation. Tracey stayed silent, noticing the way that the others seemed to ignore her. As if her removal from Slytherin had already happened.

_I should have lied_, she thought to herself that night in bed, covers pulled up and tears in her eyes. The dormitory was quiet and spacious. There weren't many new Slytherins this year and even fewer girl ones. This left plenty of room for the four girls in their room.

The Slytherin dorms were in the dungeons. Despite its location, it wasn't as unfriendly as expected. The common room was a spacious room with a high vaulted ceiling made of stone. From the ceiling round, green lamps hung down. There was a fireplace with an elegantly carved mantlepiece above it. On the mantlepiece is a moving portrait of a snake. The head boy and girl said that the snake usually just slept in its portrait instead of doing anything.

The room was decorated with a set of couches near the fireplace, various chairs and reading nooks, a large round table was on the west side of the room next to a large notice board and a couple of mahogany desks. Along the wall next to the entrance was a series of still portraits of famous Slytherins. Sure enough, one was an old man with a white beard – the name card placing him as Merlin. It had an overall soothing and calm tone to its atmosphere, complemented by the greenish hue ambient light given off by the single most interesting thing about the common room. The walls were made of glass, showing the beautiful sight of Hogwart's lake. Tracey was able to see the underwater plant life, schools of fish, and the head boy had said that the giant squid likes to swim by sometimes as well. It was an amazing thing to look at.

At the back of the common room were two arched doorways. They led to the actual dormitories. Flanking the sides of the arches were statues of knights holding swords and shields engraved with a snake on the front. The arch to the left went to the girl dorms, while on the right they went to the boys. Through the archway was a long hallway with five doors on each wall. The head girl pointed out which two doors lead to the bathrooms (“Use this one because the older students like to use the other one.”) and at the end of the hall was the door that led to the first-year dorms. There were seven beds. The walls and ceiling were made of the same dark stone as the common room. The floor had an engraved mosaic of a twin pair of snakes intertwined together. There were three windows in the room, one having a window seat to accompany it. The windows, like the common room, outlooked the lake.

Pansy and Daphne each took beds as far away from each other as possible from the west wall. Millicent grabbed a bed that was in the middle, ignorant of the other two girls' rising tension. When Tracey went to get a bed between, Pansy and Millicent, the former let out a near shriek.

“Don't even think about it mudblood! Don't sleep near me!” Pansy slammed her trunk closed with a glare. Tracey moved to a bed between Millicent and Daphne. They both gave her wary looks that caused her to hesitate.

And that is how Tracey got a bed on the east wall, next to the window seat. She didn't get a lot of sleep that night. Instead, she either hid under the blankets, crying silently, or she sat by the window and looked into the lake. A school of strange fish swam by. Their scales were multicolored and fins extra sharp. In other circumstances, she would have been amazed by them. This time, Tracey was too busy contemplating her upcoming year. It wasn't going to be easy. She could write home and ask to go back to her normal schooling.

But that felt like giving up. And that wasn't fair, given it wasn't even the first day of school. Tracey thunked her head against the window. She closed her eyes and listened to the ambient noise of the lake's water. It was calming, even with Millicent's snores.

She could do this. Tracey refused to let them drive her out. So what if she was a muggleborn? Tracey was going to be the best Slytherin there ever was. One way, or another.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gonna be honest guys....idk where else this is gonna go. I wanna keep it going, but I just keep drawing a blank on how to further it in a way that would feel right. I just liked the idea of one of the established canon Slytherins to be a muggleborn in disguise. So, I might continue this, or I might not. I just thought I'd post it so that it wouldn't gather dust on my desktop. And to let people know I'm not dead lol. I will be picking Flickering Embers back up, I've just hit some roadblocks in the mental department lately.
> 
> Edit:10/30/19 : soooooo - I'll try harder to get something done with it. Still don't have an idea of where this will go, but I DO know that whatever it is....expect a lot of random Slytherin headcanon's that I either come up with or find in the wilds of the internet.


End file.
